Some patients with atrial fibrillation describe their condition as a palpable rapid heartbeat with rapid, uneven pulse and rapid exhaustion during exercise. Other patients feel little or no impairment from the disease. In this category of patients cardiac arrhythmias due to atrial fibrillation often occur paroxysmal, i.e. in attacks and only in (very) short episodes. Depending on the type and severity of atrial fibrillation, it can occur in episodes or permanently. In order to be able to make the clear classification, it is recommended to have the course of the disease monitored under medical supervision and to restore the regular heart rhythm through targeted therapy and medication. The early detection, monitoring and medical cessation of atrial fibrillation is therefore very important in order to prevent further secondary diseases and late sequelae.

The classic risk factors for atrial fibrillation are other common diseases of the cardiovascular system such as high blood pressure and diabetes (mellitus). As the number of multimorbid patients in western countries rises sharply with increasing age, there is also an increasing number of atrial fibrillation patients. Other cardiovascular diseases that can promote atrial fibrillation are diseases of the heart valves or heart muscles and, last but not least, the number one cause of death in Western industrial nations: the coronary heart disease.

Atrial fibrillation makes it harder for the blood to be pumped from the heart, so the blood flows irregularly. This causes the blood to build up in the atria, with the risks of clotting and blood clots forming. This scenario becomes extremely dangerous in the very moment when such a clot dissolves from the atria and migrates into the brain via bloodstream. If this blood clot closes blood vessels in the brain, it can lead to a stroke with serious consequences. Not for nothing are patients with atrial fibrillation statistically exposed to four to five times the risk of stroke. In addition to an increased risk of stroke, atrial fibrillation also increases the risk of suffering a heart attack or heart failure (fivefold risk!). Specialist studies prove this correlation with concrete values: the general mortality risk of patients with atrial fibrillation increases on average by 46%, while the risk of dying from a heart disease (cardiovascular mortality) even doubles. Despite the good treatment options for atrial fibrillation, too many people still die from the immediate consequences of atrial fibrillation. The main reason for this is that the creeping rhythm disorder is oftentimes noticed and treated too late - after a stroke.

Atrial fibrillation is a widespread disease of the cardiovascular system that often goes undetected for a long time. This is why atrial fibrillation is the most common permanent cardiac rhythm disorder for adults worldwide. Cardiac arrhythmias - including atrial fibrillation - are often the reason for doctor visits or even hospital stays. In Germany alone, more than one million patients are diagnosed with atrial fibrillation - and the number of patients is still rising. Even if atrial fibrillation may not directly be life-threatening in most cases, its symptoms should be taken seriously. In order to so, it is recommended to have all recorded and available medical patient data checked by an experienced cardiologist. Atrial fibrillation is known as a harbinger of serious cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, it is advisable to check the individual risk factors on a case-by-case basis in order to minimize them as much as possible.

Atrial fibrillation is a rhythm disorder of the heart. In the heart itself, there are four cavities: left atrium, right atrium, left ventricle and right ventricle. In healthy people, the left and right atria beat in the same rhythm as the left and right ventricles. The regular rhythm allows the heart to continuously pump blood through the body, supplying all organs with vital oxygen and nutrients. In atrial fibrillation, the rhythm of the heart - and thus also the supply of the organs - is disturbed by electrical interference fields. In concrete terms, this means that the natural sinus rhythm of the heart is negatively affected. As a result, the atria no longer beat evenly but uncontrolled. This phenomenon is popularly known as atrial fibrillation.